Britain Pauses Chagos Islands Deal Amid U.S. Opposition and Diplomatic Tensions

Britain has suspended plans to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, casting uncertainty over the future of the strategically vital Diego Garcia military base. The British government confirmed that legislation supporting the agreement would be excluded from its upcoming parliamentary schedule, as reported by The Times.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration stated it would continue working to secure formal approval from Washington before moving forward. Under the original agreement, Britain would have handed sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while retaining control of the Diego Garcia airbase through a 99-year lease that preserves joint U.S.-UK military operations. A government spokesperson reaffirmed that protecting the long-term security of Diego Garcia remains a top priority, adding that the deal would only proceed with full U.S. backing.

Trump had publicly called the arrangement a "big mistake" in February, straining an already fragile diplomatic relationship between Washington and London. Tensions have further escalated over Britain's refusal to allow U.S. forces to use British air bases for offensive operations during the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, though defensive strikes have since been permitted.

Mauritius Attorney General Gavin Glover acknowledged that the pause was not unexpected, attributing the breakdown to deteriorating relations between Starmer and Trump. He noted that talks between both nations are expected to resume later this month. The Chagos Islands deal has also drawn criticism from advocates for indigenous Chagossians, thousands of whom were forcibly removed from the islands during the late 1960s and 1970s to make way for the military base. Campaigners argue that the negotiations have repeatedly sidelined Chagossian rights and their rightful claim to resettlement, calling the collapsed deal a costly failure that denied an entire people their right to self-determination.